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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2024/2025

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Geosciences : Postgraduate Courses (School of GeoSciences)

Postgraduate Course: Land Use/Environmental Interactions (PGGE11010)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Geosciences CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course deals principally with the relationships between anthropogenic land management and issues arising from that management. The main focus will be on environmental issues and aspects (such as pollution, biocides, C sequestration, conservation) however relevant socio-economic factors will also be considered (as both drivers of management, and as impacted by management). A case study approach will be used for much of the course, utilising internal and external guest speakers. Whilst examples may primarily be from the UK, a repository of overseas examples of the various topics will also be developed throughout the course. This course will be useful to students concerned with land management and the protection of the environment, and how to mitigate the effects of land management practices.
Course description Following an introductory session, the course will comprise a series of lectures, workshops and follow-on tutorials and discussion, as well as a local field visit. Topics may include (not exclusively).
1. Introduction to the course, land use overview from global to local scales.
2. Socio-economic factors in land use
3. Farming and conservation
4. Biocides - pesticides and herbicides
5. Pollutants in the landscape - sources, impacts, management
6. Forestry and diversification
7. Carbon assessments and land use practices
8. Land use research and modelling
9. Conservation in the landscape - where, why and how
10. Land use impacts on water quantity and quality
11. Local field trip to look at diverse land uses
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  40
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 44, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 152 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Individual Essay (50%): students will chose a topic to address in detail in a 2500 word essay.

Web-based individual evaluation of land use issues for a named country or region (50%)
Feedback Not entered
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Have a knowledge of key land use types, and the possible impacts arising.
  2. Critically assess possible land use choices, taking into account environmental, social and economic factors.
  3. Be aware of possible mitigation measures that may be employed in defined land use scenarios.
Reading List
Aspinall, R.J., Hill, M.J. (2008). Land Use Change: Science, Policy And Management.
Brannstrom, C., Vadjunec, J.M. (2014). Land change science, political ecology and sustainability: synergies and divergences.
Cowell R, Lennon M, (2014). The utilisation of environmental knowledge in land-use planning: drawing lessons for an ecosystem services approach. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 32(2) 263¿282.
Qiao-Yu Cui, Marie-José Gaillard, Geoffrey Lemdahl, Li Stenberg, Shinya Sugita and Ganna Zernova (2014). Historical land-use and landscape change in southern Sweden and implications for present and future biodiversity. Ecology and Evolution 2014; 4(18): 3555¿3570.
DeFries, R.S., Asner, G.P., Houghton, R.A. (2004) Ecosystems and land use change
DeGraff, J. V. (2007). Understanding and responding to hazardous substances at mine sites in the western United States
European Commission. Environment Land Use. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/land_use/index_en.htm
European Environment Agency (EAA). Land Use. http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/landuse
FAO. Land Resources. http://www.fao.org/nr/land/lr-home/en/
Ganoulis, J. (1994) Engineering risk analysis of water pollution: probabilities and fuzzy sets
Giampietro, M., Aspinall, R.J., Ramos-Martin, J., Bukkens, S.G.F (2014). Resource Accounting for Sustainability Assessment: the Nexus between Energy, Food, Water and Land Use
Gupta, A., Mason, M. (2014). Transparency in global environmental governance: critical perspectives
Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP). Sustainable Land Use. http://www.ieep.eu/work-areas/agriculture-and-land-management/sustainable-land-use/
Harrison, R.M. (1996). Pollution: causes, effects and control.
Harrison, R.M. (2007). Principles of Environmental Chemistry
Haygarth, P.M. and Jarvis, S.C. (2003). Agriculture, hydrology and water quality
Kiely, G. (1996). Environmental Engineering
Lindenmayer, D., Cunningham, S., Young, A. (2012). Land Use Intensification: Effects on Agriculture, Biodiversity, and Ecological Processes
Niedda, M., Pirastru, M., Castellini, M., Giadrossich, F. (2014). Simulating the hydrological response of a closed catchment-lake system to recent climate and land-use changes in semi-arid Mediterranean environment. Journal of Hydrology, 517, 732¿745
O'Neill, P. (1998). Environmental Chemistry
Ritter, W.F. & Shirmohammadi, A. (2003). Agricultural nonpoint source pollution: watershed management and hydrology
Shortle, J.S. & Abler, D.G. (2001). Environmental policies for agricultural pollution control
Solbe, J.F.L.G. (1986). Effects of Land Use on Fresh waters.
Stallworthy, M. (2013). Sustainability Land Use and the Environment
Tuck, S. L., Winqvist, C., Mota, F., Ahnström, J., Turnbull, L. A., Bengtsson, J. (2014), Land-use intensity and the effects of organic farming on biodiversity: a hierarchical meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Ecology, 51: 746¿755
Ward, A.D. & Trimble, S.W. (2004). Environmental Hydrology. 2nd edition.
Wild, A. (1993). Soils and the Environment - an Introduction.




Additional Information
Course URL http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/21-22/dpt/cxpgge11010.htm
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsLand use/Environmental Protection Pollution,eutrophication,land use,water quality
Contacts
Course organiserDr Alistair Hamilton
Tel: 0131 535 4417
Email: alistair.hamilton@sruc.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Jennifer Gumbrell
Tel:
Email: Jennifer.Gumbrell@sruc.ac.uk
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